It's beginning to look like a bridge
Extract from Waka Kotahi update 3 October, 2023
Progress continues at the Taparahi bridge site with the forming of the piers and abutments beginning to showcase how the bridge will look. The bridge comprises four structural supports - two piers and two abutments. The team completed the second pier, Pier C, last week and is focused on the completion of Pier B this week.
The next critical component is the delivery of the bridge beams (steel girders). There are 15 bridge beams which are being manufactured offsite in Napier. The first two sets are scheduled to arrive onsite this week and we hope to see the first set of bridge beams lifted into place next week, weather permitting. The wind is a key factor in determining when we can complete this work. The bridge beams will be installed on top of the piers and abutments and will form the base of the bridge deck.
Abutment A: The headwall was poured last week, and the wing-walls will start this week. Headwalls provide support for bridges, while wing-walls provide support and protect the abutment.
Abutment D: The main abutment beam was poured, and the team aim to complete the headwall this week.
Pier B: Fixed, formed and concreted the headstock and plinth ready for the steel girders. Headstocks support the bridge spans and transfer the bridge load to the pier below.
Pier C: The four columns for the pier have been poured with concrete. The working platform was lifted and placed on top (as pictured). The headstock construction will be underway this week.
The team will also continue with installing soil nails which will stabilise the slope (pictured in background of image) and fan drains.
SH25 and SH25A maintenance and recovery work
Day-to-day state highway road maintenance activities are being done around the Coromandel in a clockwise direction from Thames. Pre-seal repairs are currently underway on the SH25 loop ahead of the upcoming renewals programme – which can be either road rebuilding, resealing or resurfacing. Drainage and vegetation clearance is underway on SH25A.
Specific project - Kirikiri Stream bridge replacement
The Kirikiri Stream bridge on State Highway 26, near Thames, was built in 1941. It is low and narrow, approximately 27m long, and has a central pier that collects flood debris, causing water to back up during storms. Replacing the bridge will help reduce the flood risk, protecting the area from the impact of severe storms.
Project overview; The replacement design is for a steel tied arch bridge, to be built slightly upstream of the current one. It will be 3m higher and will not accumulate debris underneath. The existing bridge will then be removed. As part of the project, SH26 will be raised and realigned to connect with the new bridge, and a roundabout built on the nearby intersection of SH26 and SH25A (Kopua-Hikuai Road), significantly improving safety on this popular holiday route.
Delay due to cost: Waka Kotahi went out for tender on this project, but reports that the process was unsuccessful due to the prices being significantly higher than the available funding. As a result of this, and a shift in focus to recovery and resilience due to this year’s weather events, this project will be re-tendered in 2024-2025.
If there's something readers would like to know more about, or if you have a question, contact coromandel@nzta.govt.nz and they will include the answers in upcoming issues of their newsletter and The Informer will continue to include regular segments in future issues.